


Blood relationship

by FakeCirilla9



Category: Hernán - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Ambition, Cannibalism, Canon-Typical Violence, Cultural Differences, F/M, Family Fluff, Language Barrier, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-17
Updated: 2020-05-17
Packaged: 2021-03-02 19:47:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,751
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24232321
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FakeCirilla9/pseuds/FakeCirilla9
Summary: What his men and allies were up to when Cortés left them in charge of Mexico.Or: of a family relationship between one conquistador and his brother-in-law Indian.[AU: Xicotencatl stays behind as well because there are too few interactions between him and Alvarado in the series]
Relationships: Pedro de Alvarado & Hernán Cortés, Pedro de Alvarado & Xicotencatl, Pedro de Alvarado/Tecuelhuetzin | Maria Luisa, Tecuelhuetzin | Maria Luisa & Xicotencatl
Comments: 14
Kudos: 3





	Blood relationship

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into Русский available: [Семейные отношения](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26343082) by [fandom_History_P_2020](https://archiveofourown.org/users/fandom_History_P_2020/pseuds/fandom_History_P_2020), [Melis_Ash](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Melis_Ash/pseuds/Melis_Ash)



_Xicotencatl_

“Let's eat their antlerless deer,” one of Xicotencatl's men risked for which the chief backhanded him.

His nerves were at a constant strain and even though Cortés had been an ally atrocious enough, the people he left behind were even worse. Not possible to reason with, haughty and stupid. Tecuelhuetzin, instead of being a support, made it all worse because she was sharing nights with one of them instead of lasting at Xicotencatl’s side.

“They need these animals to fight,” Xicotencatl explained because unlike the newcomers he won't be ruling with fear alone and no reason.

“There is no fight. Mexicans do not need to pick one, they'll simply wait until we die from starvation.”

Tonatiuh appeared at the top of the stairs, bottle in hand, drinking away his hunger. His black mastiff was at his feet and his clothes and hair were in disarray like he just left the bed. Xicotencatl tried to rein his mind before it run to imagining Tecuelhuetzin dishevelling him like that.

“What about that beast?” someone pointed the dog.

Xicotencatl felt their expectant thoughts on him.

He wanted to hurt that particular Castilian badly. Nothing hurt quite as much as murdering the creature dependent on the man's protection. It would be easy, yet it felt bereft of honour. Terrible as he was in many aspects, Tonatiuh did not hurt his sister. He deserved suffering and eventual death but only of himself and not of those he cared about.

“No,” Xicotencatl said, curtly cutting all dispute.

_Alvarado_

“What are they all talking about?” muttered Pedro to his dog. The dog did not answer. “Tlaxcaltecas, Aztecs, they are all the same. Look how they glare at us.” He petted Rico calmingly when the beast growled and bristled, spurred by his master's wry mood. “Even Xicotencatl, had he not fought against us? What if he still is an enemy at heart?”

Luisa approached him soundlessly and Pedro grinned at her, feeling his interest grow once again even though he had just left her. But she shook her head and told something in her incomprehensible language. Pedro didn't mind that in bed. Outside it was a bit annoying when he couldn't get any meaning from it. But his bride added some elaborative hand gestures and pantomime and Pedro got what she tried to communicate.

“You want me to go to them?” he indicated Tlaxcalteca warriors on the square below. “Why not if they acquired some food.”

He offered her his arm but she drew back.

“Oh no, you can't expect me to do this on my own. Alone, surrounded by these,” he bit on ‘animals’ not sure why he was bothering when she didn't understand a word he spoke anyway, “Tlaxcaltecas.”

She nodded enthusiastically. Pedro sighed feeling defeated even though the argument hardly could be called that.

“I sure hope you will make it up to me when I return, princess.”

He left Rico in her care and went down, not even picking his weapon.

_Xicotencatl_

The comer from behind the sea staunched. It was an odour of an unwashed body, days' sweat and sour breath of someone drinking too much. He was dirty, uncouth, boorish and brutal. Xicotencatl had no idea what Tecuelhuetzin saw in him.

Maybe besides his gold hair. And courage. And usefulness. He was an accomplished warrior, truly, but it didn't call for such shows of affection as Tecuelhuetzin bestowed him with in Xicotencatl's opinion.

Because he looked down on them, on all valiant Tlaxcaltecas.

When Tonatiuh came to the feast, grinning at all of them and clapping some on the back, Xicotencatl felt the tiniest bit of hope that maybe just maybe there was a chance that the brute could behave himself for a while...

Until his sister's husband did not throw one of his tantrums. All was well and then, unexplainably, he started to retch and smash their bowls, spilling over the brew and shouting in Spanish. From the mostly incomprehensible rant, Xicotencatl picked up a few words about dogs and eternal fire but they made little sense in the context. They did not burn the food neither did they eat his beast of a dog. So it left no doubt it must be curses towards them.

Xicotencatl sat tensed, ready to bolt. He did not reach for his obsidian sword yet.

But then Tonatiuh came at him, in full body force of a nearly twice his mass man and stroke without a pause. Xicotencatl flew backwards and immediately rolled to a stand, tearing out his weapon and ignoring the pain blossoming from where the fist landed on his jaw.

“Hold him!” the order was superfluous as his men already grabbed the foreigner.

They pulled him backwards, where they pressed him to a column.

Xicotencatl strode to him feeling the copper taste of blood filling his mouth.

Tonatiuh bared his teeth at them and his snarl was indistinguishable from a smile. His sky blue eyes shone like during a battle. He trashed but Tlaxcaltecas' arms held him firmly in place.

“I'll make you pay,” Xicotencatl told him.

Blue eyes looked undaunted at him, the bearded chin was held up in a challenge.

“For all your deeds, for how you treat my men, for how you hold us all in contempt. And when I'm done with you, you will feel the humiliation of being addressed to like a dog!”

Xicotencatl cared little that Spaniard could not comprehend his speech; he must have understood the overall situation's meaning well. Xicotencatl drew his sword at the pale chest. Dusty white fabric and pale skin beneath cut equally easily. Tonatiuh's teeth clenched tighter but he did not utter a sound.

A few more strokes of the black glass and the uncultured stranger looked nearly as a man with only his pants on and his wide chest bared. Xicotencatl started at the hair on the other's breast.

“You call us dogs. But you are like your dog yourself,” Xicotencatl told him in Nahuatl, not caring what little Tonatiuh could pick up, “smelly, ponderous and aggressive. You know what we do to disobedient dogs?”

He gestured for his men to pass him a whip. Tonatiuh shouted something in outrage. Yet before Xicotencatl had a chance to flog him, Tecuelhuetzin entered and held his hand. Her delicate fingers were surprisingly strong around his wrist.

“Brother, no.”

“He started it. He comes like he's home and orders around and disrespects my men. We brought food and that's their thanks!”

“They won't eat men, not even enemies' flesh,” Tecuelhuetzin said softly. “Let him go, we have a common enemy here and enough of them so each warrior is precious.”

Xicotencatl reluctantly signed for his men to do so. Tecuelhuetzin's closeness was like a balm. Her warm breath caressed his lips. Her body smelt of flowers.

Until Tonatiuh ruined even that.

“Maria Luisa,” he called and she went to him as if the foreign name belonged to her.

_Alvarado_

A golden cup did not broke when it crashed, hurled against the wall. Only some plaster rained down and the wine painted the frescos red, making it look like the sacrifices thereon dripped real blood.

“They do not respect me!” From the lack of anything else to throw, Pedro turned to his Indian wife. “Not even your brother. Especially not your brother. He thinks he can order us around like we were his subjects. But he surrendered to Cortés and do I not fulfil Hernán's orders? Why don't they listen?!”

Luisa did not cower before his wrath. Instead, she approached him and touched him and he would suspect her of using magic if the touch of women didn't work the same miracles back home. Yet she was more skilled than them. Much more skilled...

Soon Pedro panted under her hand and her smile was sharp like an obsidian blade when she looked up close into his face and spoke indiscernible things to him.

_Xicotencatl_

Xicotencatl stood near the stone wall of what passed as his sister's palace in this cursed city. They were on the top, conquered the world, yet some things soured the taste of victory. Raising enmity towards them could soon slaughter them all. Unless Tecuelhuetzin would convince her husband to deal the first blow. Xicotencatl would strike first, all by himself if he saw any chances for success in it. But even coupled with the comers from behind the sea they were outnumbered in Mexico city. To attack by Tlaxcaltecas’ forces alone would result in a massacre instead of fulfilling the goal. Xicotencatl made that mistake once and he did not wish to repeat it.

Their situation in this enemy city couldn't be much worse with how they stopped to bring them food. Conquering Mexico and killing its ruler was worth death though. If they killed the king responsible for so much suffering of his people that was now helpless in their hands. Xicotencatl ached to kill him. He knew Tecuelhuetzin craved it even more. Yet Cortés forbade it before going out to fight the people of his often invoked King.

And Tonatiuh clung to his orders with all his will and heart.

Tecuelhuetzin worked on convincing him otherwise. The thought brought yet more bitterness to Xicotencatl's mind, already in turmoil. His heart burned with jealousy. Clenching his fists he raised his head to the light still sipping from behind the makeshift doors

Acting more on instinct than the conscious decision he quickly climbed up the stairs separating him from the woman he loved. He peered between the thin wood twigs. The image that greeted him, even though infuriating to the thought, was still arousing to the body. Gold and black hair tangled together as their entwined bodies moved in sync. However daft the newcomers were in many things, they still knew at least this much from nature. Xicotencatl watched, enraptured as they rocked in an eternal dance of life. He could smell their passion, see the beads of sweat on their naked skin and hear stifled gasps from where he stood.

His admiration was interrupted by a growl.

He turned slowly. A black beast snarled at him. Its eyes shone in the dark.

All in all, it was just as insufferable as its owner: aggressive, acting on instincts and impossible to reason with. Xicotencatl did not wish to kill it but he also did not intend to let himself be torn to pieces by animal’s teeth. A warrior should die in a battle.

He drew out his wooden sword studded with obsidian.

“Back off.”

The dog, just as his master wouldn't, didn’t listen. It just growled louder. Xicotencatl saw how it prepared for a jump.

Yet before the beast could leap, the wooden shield flew open.

And Tonatiuh, naked sword in hand, naked himself, came out. He took in the scene with one gaze.

“Not my dog!”

Snarling just as his beast did, he swung at the Tlaxcalteca. Xicotencatl covered himself with his own sword. Weapons clashed with such force that obsidian glass broke and scattered on the floor.

The dog barked and joined his master and Xicotencatl found himself retreating, backing away using the wooden stick that remained in his hand as a guard against the crazy Spaniard and his mad dog at the same time.

Again it was Tecuelhuetzin that put a stop to their quarrel.

“Basta!” she cried in a voice authoritative enough so it made the meaning obvious.

The dog and even Tonatiuh both paused which made Xicotencatl be still too. Tecuelhuetzin stepped between them, separating them with her own body. She glared at each. No words were needed to pass her displeasure and disappointment.

_Alvarado_

Luisa bade them sit down and from who knew where produced some dried leaves. This too would be suspiciously magic like but Pedro appreciated the influence of some far too much to care. He patted his dog and glared at the Tlaxcalteca glaring back at him.

Luisa slid them cups with steaming liquid once she took the boiling water off the little fire.

The scent was sickeningly sweet and Pedro grimaced. Normally, he would have spilt it but Xicotencatl drunk next to him and so Pedro couldn't stay behind in whatever kind of drinking competition it was.

The taste was just as bad as of any herbal drink.

And then the room around him whirled and blurred and when he opened his eyes and shook his head there was Xicotencatl still but no sign of Luisa or Rico.

“What is the meaning of this? Where are they?”

“Still here but outside.”

Although he miraculously understood words Xicotencatl spoke he felt like meaning eluded him more than at some times when they spoke in Nahuatl.

“How to go back?” he tried another approach.

“We will when we'll come to an understanding.”

“With you, you–?”

“Yes, me what?”

“Savage.”

“It's not me who goes picking up random fights or causing unrest with not own warriors.”

“They will burn in Hell. You will all burn in Hell for not being Christianised, not believing in one true God and eating humans!”

“I don't know about that Hell. But if I didn't feed them, some would burn on pyres already.”

Pedro felt his hair stood on end and regretted he didn't have Rico to plunge his hand in his familiar hide, feel his reassuring body heat.

“Then we may stay here forever because I won't ever take human flesh to my lips.”

“You don't have to.”

“So what do you want me to do?”

Xicotencatl looked straight at him and their eyes really could cut as obsidian, both his and his sister's.

“To kill Moctezuma.”

Pedro shook his head.

“No, no, that's not an option.”

“Why?”

“Cortés' orders.”

“He's not here now, is he?”

“That would be treason and I will never betray the one I consider my brother.”

“Am I not your brother? You are married to my sister. Tecuelhuetzin wants it too.”

“Hernán-

“Why do you cling to him so much? He uses everyone around. He uses my people, he uses his own, he uses you. Why not seize the chance when he's not here? Why rely on him when we can rule on our own?”

“We won't rule that long with that attitude in Aztecs. There is almost no food. They disobey us already.”

“Because they are enemies. They always have been and always will be. They wish us death. We need to strike first.”

“And then?”

“What then?”

“I don't know about you but I don't plan to die here. Oh, wait… but that would be in your favour, right? You work to set your enemies against each other. Nice try. But I spend enough time with Hernán to not fall for it.”

“I do wish you death,” said Xicotencatl with disarming honesty, “but maybe you're better than Cortés. At least Tecuelhuetzin likes you... What would you say to being the chieftain of our people at her side? You don't need Cortés.”

It was actually tempting. Much more tempting than when Olid or whatever traitor suggested to arrest Hernán and turn him in to Velazquez. Tlaxcaltecas offered real power in return, a life worthy of a king. Pedro longed to be viceroy of a new Spain yet it was always second to Cortés in his dreams, just like in his life. Hernán entrusted him his golden city, felt assured that Pedro would hold it for him. He chose him of all the conquistadors. Pedro couldn't betray that trust, couldn't betray Hernán. He might be annoying at times, but he was still an hermano.

Xicotencatl watched him closely.

“You love him more than even my sister,” there was some resignation in his voice. Then another idea seemed to strike him, “what if Mexicans disobeyed his orders?”

“They haven’t.”

“But what if? If they were to sacrifice another human, tear their heart, burn it for their gods?”

“Then I would put a stop to it,” Pedro said.

Xicotencatl looked glad.

“They will do this sooner or later,” he said. “They're monsters. And we will go fight together against our enemies.”

Pedro thought that Xicotencatl, sometimes, talked with more sense than Hernán blinded by unrealistic ambitions.

“Together,” he nodded.

Xicotencatl stood up.

“Does your God forbid you to wash too?”

Pedro frowned at the change of topics.

“No.”

“So you could bathe?”

“Yea but what for?”

“You stink.”

Pedro laughed. And just like that, he was in the chamber again. Rico looked concerned. Luisa looked pleased. Xicotencatl, he would swear, nearly smiled back.


End file.
